Multiple contact connector



June 21, 1960 R. H; BERGER 2,942,229

MULTIPLBCONTACT CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 31, 1956 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEK United 2,942,229 MULTlPLE CONTACT CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 31, 1956, set. Na 562,431

Claims. or. 339-176) g This invention rel-ates to a multiple contact connector, and more particularly to a multiple contact connector having similar mating parts. The connector of the present invention is especially useful for effecting electrical connection of one printed circuit to another printed circuit, or to a panel. A common type of printed circuit comprises a circuit board, which is a sheet of insulating material having a printed wiring pattern on one side, and a plurality of components mounted on the other side. The components are connected to the printed wiring by means of leads extending through apertures in the board.

It is desirable to provide a connector which is readily fixed to a circuit board and which is adapted to be mounted on a circuit board by automatic machine methods. It is further desirable to provide a connector which will facilitate the connection of a printed circuit to a fixed panel, the connection of one printed circuit to another printed circuit, or the connection of a cable to a printed circuit.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved multiple contact connector for use with printed circuits which comprises identical mating elements, which is relatively free of variations in tolerances, and which is cheap to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved multiple contact connector for use with printed circuits which eliminates vulnerable pin and socket contacts and which provides substantial butt engagement of the contacts.

A connector in accordance with the present invention comprises two similar mating elements. Each element includes a mounting face and a mating face, the mating face being inclined with respect to the direction of engagement of the connector elements. A plurality of contacts are secured in each of the connector elements. Each contact extends from the mounting face and is adapted for connectionto a circuit board. Each contact extends from the mating face to form the contacting portion of the contact. A spring clip is associated with one of the connector elements. When the connec tor elements are engaged, the clip exerts a holding force and provides a wedging action between connector elements.

. The novel features of the invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view'in perspective of a connector ele ment mounted in a clip frame;

' Figure 2 is a view in plan of a connector assembly;

Figure 3 is a view, in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a connector contact, illustrating the formed position of the contact in dotted lines; and

tates atent Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 3, illustrating an alternative form of connector assembly.

Referring in more detail to the accompanying drawing, a connector assembly comprises two connector elements 11 and 17, the connector element 11 including a clip frame 13. The element 11 may be mounted ona circuit board 15, shown in phantom. The connector element 17 may be mounted on a circuit board 19, also shown in phantom; The connector element 17 is held in mating engagement with the connector element 11, mounted on the board 15, by means of the clip frame 13.

The connector elements 11 and 17 each comprise an elongated contact holding block made of an insulating material and having a triangular cross section. As illustrated in the drawings, the section is preferably in the form of a right-angle triangle having two equal sides. Each holding block has a mating face 23 which is the face defined by the hypotenuse of the triangle section. The mating faces of the two connector elements oppose or face each other when the connector is engaged. Each of the holding blocks is provided with a mounting face 25 which is defined by one of the legs of the triangle section. The mounting face 25 is the face which is secured against the circuit board or panel to which the connector element is attached. The remaining face of the block will be referred to as the third face 29.

Each block is provided with a plurality of apertures 27 which extend through the block from the mating face 23 to the mounting face 25 and are disposed perpendicular to the mating face. These apertures are substantially circular in cross section and are tapered, having a smaller diameter at their ends adjacent the mounting face and having a larger diameter at their ends adjacent the mating face.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, a plurality of identical contacts 31 are shown mounted in the blocks, one contact being carried in each of the apertures 27. Referring particularly to Figure 4, a contact 31 is illustrated in strip form prior to its being formed. The contact may be described as having four portions, namely a clamping portion 32, a contacting portion 33, a mounting portion 34, and a terminal portion 35. The mounting portion 34 is provided with a longitudinal raised portion or rib 36 to stiffen this portion of the contact. Prior to its being mounted in a block, the contact is formed in the manner illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 4.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the formed contacts are shown mounted in the holding blocks. The mounting portion 34 of the contact is the portion which lies in an aperture 27. The mounting portion 34 is tapered from the Wider contacting portion 33 to the narrower terminal portion 35. The contacting portion is wider to provide suflicient contact area, and the terminal portion is narrower so that it may extend through a small aperture provided in the circuit board. The taper of the mounting portion 34 corresponds to the taper of an aperture 27 so that the contact will fit snugly within the aperture and preferably engage the walls of the aperture in a knife edge action. The terminal portion 35 is bent with respect to the mounting portion 34 so that it extends substantially perpendicularly away from the mounting face 25. The contacting portion 33 is bent with respect to the mounting portion 34 to lie adjacent the mating face 23 and is formed arcuately so that this portion, intermediate its ends, lies away from the mating face 23. The clamping portion 32 extends at an acute angle with respect to the contacting portion 33 and engages the third or clamping face 29 of the holding block to anchor loosely the contacting portion at its end away from the aperture 27. Due to its form,

3 each contact maintainsa fixed position when it is inserted intc'f a block;

The contacting portion 33. is formed arcuately to provide individual spring loading of each of the contacts. The terminal portions 35 of the contacts 31 are shown extendingithrough apertures in the circuit boards and 19 These terminal portions 35 may be soldered to the circuit board while disposed in the manner shown or maybe bent over at their ends to engage the printed wiring on the circuitboai'd. The connector elements are secured to their respective circuit boards by the soldered terminal portions;

The connector element 11, which is associated'with the boardlfi, includes the elip'frame 13. The clip fran1e13 is comprised of'aibase portion 4 1, which extends the length ofithe element 11, and lies adjacent the mounting face 2'5of' the element 11; The base portioridi does not cover the apertures 27 and permitsthe contact terminal portion 35 to extend. from the mounting face. At each end" of the'clipj frame, an upwardly extending end portion 43"; each in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the connector element 11, as

best'se'en in Figure 1, is formed into a retaining clip 45 and-a guide 47. Each retaining clip 45 is provided at its-upper end with a detent 46 which extends inwardly or'towardthe opposite end of the clip frame. The detents'46'are' provided to engage the third face 29 of the connectorelement 17 to lock the connector elements together; The guides 47 extend parallel to the retaining.

clips 45" and are flared outwardly at theirupper ends. These guides are provided to prevent major engagement ntlsallglil'nilt when the connector" elements are broughtto'geth'er and are formed in such .a way as to prevent 'seriousovertravel of the-adjacent retaining'clips'45. A

pairof tabs 49 extend from the lower portion of the guides"47 transversely'in the plane of the clip frame end portions 43and theninwardly toward each'other. These tabs 49 form the support for the third face 29 of the block when it is secured in the clip. frame 13. A shallow tab or flange 51 extends upwardly from the clip frame base portion .1 on the side of the frame opposite from the tabs 49. This tab 51 will oppose themovement'of the-element 17 whenthe'connector elementsar'e engaged.

The block is secured to the clip frame 13 by means of" a pair of screws or .pins 53' which extend through apertures in the end portions of the clip frame and iongitudinally into the block of theconnector element. The clip frame'has been described as a? single member.' This frame-need not be'made as a single piece, but may be made'as two individual end pieces topermit astandardized frame for use with elements having any number of contacts.- In any case, the inclined mating face 23 of the connector element 11 and the clip' frame 13 with its end portions 43 and its flange 51 together form a wedge pocket into which the other connector element17 is received when the connector elements 11 and 17 are brought into mating'relation.

Referring now particularly to Figure 3, the connector elements 11 and 17 are shown in operative engagement with each' 'other as 'they'would'be when mounted respectively on circuit boards 15 and 19. The contacting portions 33 of the contacts 31' are shown in light engagement-with each other.

it is assumed that the board 15, to which the connector element 11 issecured, is a part of a fixed equipment;

It is further assumed that the board 19, to which the connector element 17 is'securcd, is a removable printed circuit boardand hence the element 17 is the movable portion of the connector. The board Bend the connector element 17 are moved toward the left for the purpose of engaging the board with the fixed equipment,

and toward the right' forthe purpose of disengaging it from-the fixed equipment, all asvi'ewed in Figure 3.

When the board iii is-movcd to engage the/board 15,-

the-element 17 first engages: the dtel tsidof thengetain ing clips 45. The retaining clips will spread to permit the element 17 to pass into the clip frame. In the event that the element 17 is seriously misaligned with the clip frame 13, one of the retaining clips 45 might be deflected beyond its elastic limit. In order to prevent this, the guides 47 are provided to help guide the element 17 in accurate alignment with the element 11 and to restrain movement of the element 1'7 which would tend to overdeflect a retaining clip 45'.

It will be seen that, when the contacts 31 of the two connector elements" engage. each other, the connector element 17 will slide in the pla'neofits mating face 23 until a surface of the board 19" engages the tab 51 of the clip frame 13. This sliding provides a wiping action between the contacts. The connector'element 17 is then wedged between the mating face of the element 11 and the tab 51. Further movement of the element 17 toward the element 11 will cause the contacting portion 33'ofthe contacts" of-both elements to deflect or tend to straighten out. This causes additional wiping action between mating contacts, which is desirable from the standpoint of a good electrical connection. When this occurs, theclamping portions 32 of the mating contacts will move slightly away from their respective faces. The contacts are shown in'Figure 3 prior to any deflection.

When the connector element 17 is fully engaged with the connector'element 11', the detents46 are engaged with an edge of'theclainping surface 29 and hold the element 17 in its wedged relation with respect to the element 11. The individual contacts 31 are made'resilient in' order'to' provide individual spring loading of each pair of'mating' contacts and to assure that all pairs of mati n'g contactswill engage each other even though themating" face of one or the other connector elements maybe slightly warped or otherwise distorted. v

Referring now to Figure 5, a m'odified'form of co'n-' nector assembly is shown. When a removable connector is used for connecting a printed circuit board 19 to a fixed board 15, it is very desirable to have the connector element which is secured to the removable board free of any projections or appurtenances which may become damaged or misaligned in handling. Such boards are handled relatively roughly at times during produc tion, storing, and handling. In the connector assembly shown in Figure 5, therefore, the connectorelement 17, which is secured to the board 19, is not provided with the strip contacts described above. The element 17 is provided here with pin type or rivet type' contacts 61 which are disposed in the tapered apertures 27 and which substantially fill the apertures. The contacts 61- include a head portion which protrudes outwardly from the matingv face 23' of the element 17 and a terminal portion which extends perpendicularly'from the mounting face-25.

With this arrangement, the'individual spring loading of a pair'of mating contacts is provided only by the con tacts'of the connector element 11. This spring'loading is sufficient to maintain-the desired operation of the connector, andyeta very durable connector element is provided with the mobile printed circuit board 19;

In this described embodiment, the' blocks of the connector elements are still identical and the connector as semhly is engaged and disengaged in the same manner as above describ ed.

What is claimed is:'

1. An electrical connector for printed circuits comprising ap'air of identical connector elements having a triangular cross section, said elements being relatively movable into and out of connecting relation, eachconnector element having'a mating face defined by one side of said section-each connector element having a mounting face defined by another side of said section,aplu-' rality of identical contacts mounted in spacedrelation along each -of saidelementseach contact having a resilient contacting portion disposed on the matingfac'e 5, and a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face of its connector element, said contacting portions being-bowed with respect to the mating faces of their respective connector elements, a clip frame fixed to one of said connector elements and having resilient fingers extending transversely with respect to the mating face of said one element in the direction of relative movement of said elements, and means associated with said clip-frame for limiting the movement of the other of said connector elements with respect to said one connector element in a plane parallel to said mating faces, said resilient fingers being adapted to engage said other connector element and to secure it in wedged relation with said clip frame and said one connector element.

2. An electrical connector comprising a pair of contact holding blocks, said blocks each providing a mating face and a mounting face on separate surfaces thereof, each of said blocks having a roW of correspondingly spaced apertures extending between its mating face and its mounting face, a formed strip contact supported in each of said apertures, each contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a bowed contacting portion lying adjacent the mating face of its connector element, said contacting portion extending from its aperture and terminating in a tab bent to engage an edge of its holding block, and a clip frame fixed to one of said contact holding blocks, said clip frame having resilient fingers for engaging the other of said holding blocks for holding said blocks in contact engaging position, said clip frame exerting a holding force in one direction, and said mating faces of said blocks being inclined with respect to the direction of said holding force when said connector is in engaged condition.

3. An electrical connector for connecting a printed circuit board to a fixed panel'assembly, said connector comprising a pair of elongated connector elements having a right triangular cross section defined by the hypotenuse of said section and a mounting face defined by one leg of said section, each of said elements having a row of correspondingly spaced apertures which extend between its mating face and its mounting face, one of said elements being adapted for mounting on said fixed panel assembly, the other of said elements being adapted for mounting adjacent the end of a printed circuit board, a strip contact disposed in each of said apertures in a first of said connector elements, each said trip contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a resilient contacting portion extending from its aperture and lying across the mating face of said first connector element, a pin contact disposed in each of said apertures in the second of said connector elements, each said pin contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a contact-ing portion extending from the mating face of said second connector element, a clip frame associated with one of said connector elements and having resilient fingers for engaging the other of said connector elements, said resilient fingers exerting a holding force in one direction, said mating faces of said elements being inclined with respect to said direction of holding force, and means on said clip frame for limiting sliding movement of said last-named other connector element in the plane of its mating face whereby 4. An electrical connector for connecting a printed circuit board to a fixed panel assembly, said connector comprising a pair of elongated connector elements having a right triangular cross section, each of said elements having a mating face defined by the hypotenuse of said section and a mounting face defined by one leg of said section, each of said elements having a row of correspondingly spaced apertures which extend between its mating face and its mounting face, one of said elements being adapted for mounting on said fixed panel assembly, the other of said elements being adapted for mounting adjacent the end of a printed circuit board, a strip contact disposed in each of said apertures in said fixed connector element, each said strip contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a resilient contacting portion extending from its aperture and lying acrossthe mating face of said fixed connector element, a pin contact disposed in each of said apertures in said circuit board connector element, each said pin contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a contacting portion extending from the mating face of said circuit board connector element, a clip frame associated with said fixed connector element and having resilient fingers for engaging said circuit board connector element, said resilient fingers exerting a holding force in one direction, said mating faces of said elements being inclined with respect to said direction of holding force, and means on said clip frame for limiting sliding movement of said circuit board connector element in the plane of its mating face whereby said circuit board connector element is held in wedged relation with said fixed connector element and said frame.

5. An electrical connector for connecting a printed circuit board to a fixed panel assembly, said connector comprising a pair of connector elements, each of said elements having a mating face and a mounting face, each of said elements having a row of correspondingly spaced apertures which extend between its mating face and its mounting face, one of said elements being adapted for mounting on said fixed panel assembly, the other of said elements being adapted for mounting adjacent the end of a printed circuit board, a strip contact disposed in each of said apertures in said elements, said strip contact having a terminal portion extending perpendicularly from the mounting face and a resilient contacting portion extending from its aperture and lying across the mating face of its connector element, a clip frame associated with said fixed connector element and having resilient fingers for engaging said circuit board connector element, said resilient fingers exerting a hold ing force in one direction, said mating faces of said elements being inclined with respect to said direction of holding force, and means on said clip frame for limiting sliding movement of said circuit board connector element in the plane of its mating face whereby said circuit board connector element is held in wedged relation with said fixed connector element and said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,942,229 June 21, 1960 Robert H. Berger It is herebi certified that error e apears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 47, for "trip" read strip Signed and sealed this 31st day of January l96l-.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

